Roller retainer for dishwashers

ABSTRACT

A dishwasher appliance roller retainer and a method for producing the roller retainer for a dishwashing appliance. The roller retainer for the dishwashing appliance includes a central element permanently fastened to the dishwasher tub. The invention includes a roller element on the central element for receiving rail elements.

[0001] The invention relates to a roller retainer for dishwashingmachines for receiving rail elements, which are suited to bear dishracks, comprising a central element, suitable for being permanentlyattached to a rinse container, and a roller element, which is arrangedon the central element and designed such that it is suitable forreceiving rail elements.

[0002] Roller retainers for dishwashing machines of the abovementionedtype are known, in which at least two roller retainers are pre-mountedon a metal band, and this metal band is fastened to the inner surface ofthe rinse container during final installation of the dishwashing machineby means of joining methods, for example spot welding.

[0003] To manufacture these known roller retainers it is necessary toemploy tools and equipment in order to fix at least both rollerretainers to the metal band in pre-installation, to finally fasten themetal band with the roller retainers attached thereto in the rinsecontainer of the dishwashing machine.

[0004] It has proven a disadvantage with these roller retainers that arelatively large number of individual components is required to providethe roller retainers or the pre-mounted metal bands, and the fasteningmethod is both time-intensive and cost-intensive, because welding plantsand adjusting devices have to be readied to arrange the pre-fabricatedroller retainer components precisely in the rinse container of thedishwashing machine.

[0005] The object of the present invention therefore is to provideroller retainers, which can be manufactured in few production steps andthen installed in the dishwashing machine likewise with few installationsteps.

[0006] The inventive roller retainer having the features according toClaim 1 solves this task. Advantageous further developments arecharacterised in the dependent claims 2 to 8.

[0007] With the inventive roller retainer for dishwashing machines forreceiving rail elements, which are suited to bear dish racks, a centralelement is provided, which is suited to be fastened permanently on arinse container; furthermore, a roller element is provided, which isdesigned to be arranged on the central element such that it is suitedfor receiving rail elements, whereby the central element is attacheddirectly on the rinse container.

[0008] A connecting area, which is suited for direct (i.e. withoutintermediate element) connection to the rinse container, is providedadvantageously on the central element. The connecting area is designedappropriately as an area substantially tapering relative to the centralelement and suitable to be lead through a corresponding bore in therinse container to thus be fastened on the outside of the rinsecontainer, optionally by means of fastening means, for example a screwor rivet.

[0009] The rinse container is sealed appropriately with correspondingsealing means opposite the rinsing liquor, whereby these sealing meansare arranged according to different embodiments of the inventive rollerretainer.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the inventive roller retainersealing means are reverse-drawn in the form of a sealing ring (e.g.O-ring) via the connecting area, so that any possible leakage in therinse container interior is sealed. To obtain a reliable and permanentsealing surface between the central element and the inner surface of therinse container, it is effective to provide corresponding surfacequality on the central element for one and on the rinse container foranother.

[0011] In another preferred embodiment corresponding sealing means, forexample a sealing ring, is reverse-drawn via the connecting area,whereby the sealing region lies on the outside of the rinse container.Here, corresponding sealing surfaces are to be provided equallyeffectively.

[0012] In yet another preferred embodiment of the present rollerretainer the entire joint between the central element connecting areaand the inside of the rinse container is filled with a sealing compound,whereby this sealing means can particularly effectively also fulfil anadhesive function, and thus further fastening means, such as for examplescrews or rivets would not be required.

[0013] In an embodiment of the inventive roller retainer, which requiresfastening means for fastening the roller retainer on the rinsecontainer, these fastening means may comprise screws, rivets or othersuitable fastening means, whereby in particular a corresponding innerthread is to be provided in the connecting area of the central elementwhen a screw is utilised.

[0014] Four embodiments of the present invention will now be explainedin greater detail hereinbelow by means of diagrams, in which:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a sectional representation of an inventive rollerretainer with sealing means on the outside of the rinse container;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a sectional representation of an inventive rollerretainer with a sealing ring in the interior of the rinse container;

[0017]FIG. 3 is a sectional representation of an inventive rollerretainer with a sealing compound between central element and interior ofthe rinse container;

[0018]FIG. 4 is a sectional representation of an inventive rollerretainer with a non-adhesive sealing compound between central elementand rinse container interior, as well as fastening means on the outsideof the rinse container.

[0019]FIG. 1 shows a roller retainer with a central element 1 and aroller element 3 arranged peripherally thereon, which is held on by ashoulder 5 extending concentrically about the axis of rotation of thecentral element 1. For sealing opposite the rinsing liquor the inventiveroller retainer has, according to FIG. 1, means for sealing 6 a, held onthe outside of the rinse container by means of a fastening element 10,for example a screw, whereby preferably, as illustrated, a plain washer9 applies corresponding distribution of pressure on the means forsealing 6 a and the outside of the rinse container.

[0020] For sealing the rinsing liquor the embodiment of the inventiveroller retainer illustrated in FIG. 2 has a sealing ring 6 b, arrangedbetween the central element 1 and the rinse container interior 4, andthus effectively seals any possible leakage area along the break in therinse container 4. Fastening is done by fastening means 10, which arescrewed in via a plain washer 9 from the outside of the rinse container4 into the connecting area 2 of the inventive roller retainer.

[0021] The inventive roller retainer according to FIG. 3 is fastened bya sealing and adhesive layer 6 c, applied between the central element 1and the rinse container 4, whereby it is positioned precisely via theconnecting area 2, and the gap around the connecting area 2 is likewisefilled with adhesive. In an embodiment (not illustrated) of theinventive roller retainer the connecting area 2 can also be omitted, ifcorresponding means are ready with an adhesive effect.

[0022] In the inventive roller retainer according to FIG. 4 sealingmeans 6 c are arranged in the interstice to be sealed between centralelement 1 and rinse container 4, which means is painted on for exampleas a paste around the connecting area 2 during assembly, but theretention force id realised by fastening means 10, arranged on theoutside of the rinse container 4.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A roller retainer for dishwashing machines forreceiving rail elements which are suitable to bear dish racks,comprising: a rinse container; a central element suited to be attachedat least substantially permanently to said rinse container; rollerelement arranged on said central element and designed to be suitable forreceiving the rail elements; and said central element is fasteneddirectly onto said rinse container.
 11. The roller retainer according toclaim 10, including said central element having a connecting area suitedfor direct connection with said rinse container.
 12. The roller retaineraccording to claim 11, including said connecting area designedsubstantially tapered relative to said central element.
 13. The rollerretainer according to claim 11, including said connecting area includesmeans for sealing said central element onto said rinse container on saidconnecting area.
 14. The roller retainer according to claim 11,including means for sealing said central element onto said rinsecontainer arranged between said central element and said rinsecontainer.
 15. The roller retainer according to claim 11, including saidconnecting area having threaded means for fastening said connecting areato said rinse container.
 16. The roller retainer according to claim 15,including said threaded fastening means include one of a screw or arivet to fasten said connecting area to said rinse container.
 17. Theroller retainer according to claim 11, including said central elementhaving a shoulder on the side of said central element opposite a rinsecontainer wall to which said central element is fastened, said shoulderpreventing said roller element from detaching from said central element.18. A dishwashing machine, comprising: a rinse container; a rollerretainer for receiving rail elements which are suitable to bear dishracks; said roller retainer including a central element suited to beattached at least substantially permanently to said rinse container;said roller retainer including a roller element arranged on said centralelement and designed to be suitable for receiving the rail elements; andsaid central element is fastened directly onto said rinse container. 19.The dishwashing machine according to claim 18, including said centralelement having a connecting area suited for direct connection with saidrinse container.
 20. The dishwashing machine according to claim 19,including said connecting area designed substantially tapered relativeto said central element.
 21. The dishwashing machine according to claim19, including said connecting area includes means for sealing saidcentral element onto said rinse container on said connecting area. 22.The dishwashing machine according to claim 19, including means forsealing said central element onto said rinse container arranged betweensaid central element and said rinse container.
 23. The dishwashingmachine according to claim 11, including said connecting area havingthreaded means for fastening said connecting area to said rinsecontainer.
 24. The dishwashing machine according to claim 23, includingsaid threaded fastening means include one of a screw or a rivet tofasten said connecting area to said rinse container.
 25. The dishwashingmachine according to claim 18, including said central element having ashoulder on the side of said central element opposite a rinse containerwall to which said central element is fastened, said shoulder preventingsaid roller element from detaching from said central element.